ArticleHead & neck2026
Transoral Robotic Surgery (TORS) for Head and Neck Cancer in the Elderly Population: Functional Outcomes, Survival, and Complications.
Article in Head & neck, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
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Who cites it
3 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- Transoral robotic surgery for glottic squamous cell carcinoma: a systematic review and patient-level analysis of surgical, functional, and oncologic outcomes.Journal of robotic surgery · 2026Pooled it
- Transoral Robotic Surgery (TORS) for Head and Neck Cancer in the Elderly Population: Functional Outcomes, Survival, and Complications.Head & neck · 2026Article
- Reconfiguring robotic surgery in head and neck practice: transition from multi-port to single-port with early clinical outcomes.Frontiers in oncology · 2026Article
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Authors and funding
7 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
objectiveTo compare functional and oncologic outcomes in elderly (≥ 70 years) and nonelderly (< 70 years) patients after transoral robotic surgery (TORS).
methodsA retrospective chart review was conducted on 114 patients who underwent TORS for head and neck squamous cell carcinoma between 2012 and 2022. Patient and tumor characteristics, perioperative details, complications, and survival parameters were analyzed. Swallowing function was assessed using the Functional Outcome Swallowing Scale (FOSS).
resultsOf the 114 patients, 37 (32.5%) were elderly, and 77 (67.5%) were nonelderly. Elderly patients had higher comorbidity scores (p < 0.001). Oropharyngeal and oral cavity primaries were more common in the nonelderly group, whereas laryngeal primaries predominated in elderly patients (p < 0.01). Complication rates were higher in nonelderly (37.6%) than in elderly (18.9%) patients, though not statistically significant (p = 0.07). In elderly patients, FOSS scores showed no significant change preoperatively, postoperatively (< 3 months), or at the last follow-up (median 36 months). The nonelderly group experienced worse early postoperative FOSS scores compared to baseline but showed significant improvement, returning to preoperative levels by the last follow-up. Nonelderly patients had better FOSS scores at last follow-up compared to elderly patients (p = 0.014). Overall and recurrence-free survival outcomes were better in the nonelderly group, but disease-specific survival rates were comparable.
conclusionDespite higher comorbidity rates in the elderly, TORS demonstrated favorable complication rates in the elderly population. Swallowing function returned to baseline after 3 months in both groups. TORS appears safe for elderly patients with comparable oncologic outcomes.
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